Public Perceptions of a Deposit Return Scheme

With more than twenty million empty drinks containers wasted in the UK every day, ensuring a comprehensive Deposit Return Scheme is rolled out across the UK in a timely and consistent way, as promised in the Conservative manifesto in 2019, remains a top priority for Keep Britain Tidy.

Evidence from more than 40 other countries and regions around the world show collection rates for drink containers increase to well above 90%, capturing valuable material for recycling and preventing them from littering our streets and polluting our waterways and, ultimately, our oceans.

As part of our work on DRS, we are committed to engaging policy makers on the issues, championing for a best practice scheme.

We are delighted to publish the following report, containing public perception polling from YouGov on many aspects of deposit return schemes (DRS) and their impact on people and the environment, and accompanying policy recommendations. 

Polling shows us that once DRS is communicated to people in straightforward terms, there is overwhelming public support for it from across the political spectrum. Support is strong for the inclusion of glass, plastic and aluminium containers. This is at odds with Defra’s current policy to exclude glass from DRS in England and Northern Ireland – the two nations with the highest levels of public support for the inclusion of glass.

The polling revealed that:

• Three-quarters of people (76%) believe that glass should be included in DRS, the highest percentage, ahead of plastic (75%) and aluminium (69%)
• Awareness of DRS is low - just 30% had heard of DRS and answered that they knew what it was
• But when DRS was explained, 66% supported it
  • This rises to 69% for 2019 Conservative voters, 72% for Labour, 76% for Liberal Democrat

Special thanks are owed to the Tidy Britain APPG chair, Kim Leadbeater MP, and her team for the vital work they have put into campaigning on litter and waste.

Read The Report